The Kingdom of Northpoint
"Located upon the northernmost shores of western High Rock is the great power of the North: Northpoint, the head and the heart of what is collectively known as the Kingdom of the North. Reaching from the city of Northpoint to the mountains of Eagle Brook and everything in between, Northpoint is one of the dominant players in High Rock. The Kingdom shares its heraldry with its oldest family, the royal line of the Carons, and thus the crowned, bare-breasted, dual-tailed mermaid, armed with a bronze trident, upon a blue-green field can be seen flying throughout the North. In recent years, Northpoint has emerged victorious from a long war with the former kingdom, now archduchy, of Shornhelm, spearheaded by King Daric Caron, a notably unemotional and somewhat cold ruler. The great city of Northpoint, King Daric's seat of power, is both the capital city of the kingdom and one of the largest and most prosperous cities in High Rock, rivaled only by Daggerfall and Wayrest to the south." ''- From "An Examination of High Rock: An Introduction to the Powers of the Bretons" by Sir Basil Wilde''' Geography of Northpoint The nation of Northpoint is, in general, temperate, though winter months are certainly cold, especially along the northern coastline. The coastline itself is rocky and rough, and occasionally subject to infrequent but heavy thunderstorms. Inland, however, Northpoint's weather is much more stable and calm. Moderately hilly, with few mountains except for the Normar mountain range in the north, the center of the nation is divided between good, rich farmland and the heavy Whittam Forest. Whittam Forest itself is divided by Lake Camrer (at the mouth of which sits the massive castle-city Old Seaguard) and the Camrer river valley (where the city of Riverton sits). There are four islands that sit off the coasts of Northpoint. The island to the North is more a glorified rock, but upon is sits Tempest Keep, the initial home of the Knights of the Tempest. However, due to the isolation of the keep, the Knights haven't used it as their primary base for almost 300 years, and have instead put down roots in the town of Lenly. However, Tempest Keep holds the extensive library of the knights, and does have a permanent contingent of monk-scribes who take care of the castle and its library. The three islands to the east, meanwhile, are collectively known as the Wolf's Paw, due to their formation. The islands are primarily used for the vacation home for the Caron family, being very green and full of arable land and livestock. Cities, Towns, and Villages § Northpoint, "the crown jewel of the North" and the capital of both the nation of Northpoint and the Kingdom of the North. The city is one of the largest cities in all of High Rock, and has one of the most bustling ports in all of Tamriel, controlling a vital trade route between High Rock and Skyrim. § Riverton, the seat of the Leoriane family and the second largest city in the nation of Northpoint; sits within the Camrer river valley, near the edge of Whittam forest. § Faith's Leap, the seat of the Darein family, and refers to both the castle and the town around it; though small, the town is rich due to the wealth of the Darein shipping company; sits on a high cliff upon the eastern coastline. § Old Seaguard, the seat of the Masterston family; a massive castle, Old Seaguard is so large that, though it houses a moderately sized town within its walls, many parts of the castle have fallen into disuse; sits at the entrance to Lake Camrer to the southeast. § Normar Heights, the seat of the Wickhart family and a wealthy town and castle; sits on the road through the Normar mountain range, and is surrounded by prosperous iron and silver mines. § Millton, a small farming town; notable for being the last town on the road to Northpoint, and for producing the famous poet and author Sir Basil Wilde. § Lenly, a town taken over by the Knights of the Tempest when they moved out from Tempest Keep, Lenly has become a fortified training center for the Knights and is completely self-sufficient. § Rochenburg, a moderately sized fishing town on the border of Wrothmark. Culture & Society Perhaps the most defining characteristic of Northpoint society is their fierce sense of independence and pride. Northpointers, being the most direct descendants from the Nords amongst the Breton peoples, certainly inherited militaristic culture and a sense of stubborness regarding their own sense of individualism, even once Northpoint gradually adopted the standard, more "civilized" feudal system of most Bretons. This has, however, led to a certain hypocrisy regarding their ideas of freedom. While Northpointers themselves are usually resistant to any strong ruler with a large amount of centralized power - and are thus resistant to any sort of heavy taxes, extreme law enforcement tactics, and often times a king or queen must be either personally strong or charismatic to earn their loyalty - they often see no disconnect between such ideals and their country's frequent tendency to conquer or otherwise control their neighbors. In Northpoint, surnames are usually reserved for nobility or people of note such as knights; thus, the majority of peasants go only by their given names, with either their town of origin or their chosen occupation as an additional identifier. Northpoint is technically speaking an electoral monarchy; the War of the Sirens, a civil war fought by rival members of the Caron family, resulted in the nobility temporarily exiling the Caron family, and started the idea that the Carons only rule when they are accepted by the people. However, over the centuries, this tradition has somewhat faded away, if only because the rulers since the return of the Carons have been in some way connected to the family, and thus it has become somewhat taken for granted that a Caron will seat the throne of Northpoint. House Caron The Carons of Northpoint are one of the oldest and proudest of the Royal Houses of High Rock, having been the ruling family of Northpoint for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The family’s line can be traced back to Triaton Sea-Born the Conquerer, a powerful and charismatic Nordic warlord who conquered almost all of the northern region of High Rock in the remarkably short time of six months late in the First Era. Triaton has since become the subject of a variety of local legends, ranging from the very real possibility of being a powerful Tongue, to the less plausible claim of personally hunting down and killing numerous gigantic sea serpants, to the undoubtably false tales that he was the son of a mermaid and a pirate captain. Triaton came to High Rock from Skyrim and landed on the spot that would eventually become the city of Northpoint in the middle of the first Era, having had his fill of adventure in the land of the Nords. Triaton, upon landing, decided to establish himself a kingdom over the bodies of the disconnected clans of northern High Rock. Being a charismatic leader, accomplished warlord, and powerful Tongue, the conquering of High Rock's northern coastline only took a little under a year and a half. It was during this quick conquering that Triaton uttered the phrase that would eventually become the Caron family's motto: "I am the sea, and the sea never yields." After conquering the last, and most powerful, of the clans of the north, Clan Caron, Triaton took the last surviving member, Aoife, as his wife, and adopted her surname for his line. The Carons have remained the most influential family in the north ever since, even during the times when their kingdom was reduced in size. The only brief period that the Carons were not ruling Northpoint came from 2E73 to 2E195, following the War of the Sirens, a power struggle between siblings. The War of the Sirens broke out in Last Seed 2E73, upon Tadgh Caron II taking the throne, despite the complaints from his twin brother Marlowe. Marlowe, feeling that his brother did not have any more right to the throne of the North than he did, rebelled and raised an army to take the throne, aided by one of his younger siblings, Saorise. The fighting between the two armies lasted for three years, until Marlowe was killed in a battle. Saorise took up arms in his stead, and successfully won the throne in 2E82, after killing Tadgh in single combat. However, upon crowning herself Queen (the second of only five female rulers of Northpoint), Saorise found herself challenged by her younger brother, Bairre, and her cousin, Seamus, and was assassinated after only a year of holding the throne. Seamus and Bairre spent the next decade skirmishing with each other, neither able to claim Northpoint City for longer than a year during that time. In 2E93, the other lords of Northpoint grew tired of the petty battles of relatives. Seamus found himself exiled, and Bairre found himself executed. A coalition of noble families ruled Northpoint for the next 100 years, until they invited Seamus's granddaughter Brianna back to take the throne. Brianna - or as she later became known as, Brianna Sea-Born, the Restorer - brought, along with a young son, House Leoriane, who would later become one of the most influential noble families of the north. Since the War of the Sirens, it has been a time honored (but in recent years somewhat forgotten) idea that the Carons rule with the consent of the nobility, not the other way around. Of course, over the years, the Caron family has branched off enough that the modern Carons are actually not direct descendants of Triaton, as there have been many time that a cousin or adopted child has taken the throne. However, its almost been expected that any ruler of Northpoint will adopt the Caron name along with the duty of ruling. The ruling Caron of Northpoint generally holds the title of 'Son/Daughter of the Siren' in addition to their other titles, a tradition that has been passed down since the time of Triaton Caron. In addition, particularly great rulers (such as Queen Elissa Sea-Born the Builder) have their surname of Caron replaced with the title of Sea-Born after their death. The Caron coat of arms is a dual-tailed, crowned mermaid, and their motto is The Sea Never Yields. The Royal Family :: - KING DARIC CARON, The Son of the Siren, King of Northpoint, Lord Sovereign of Sharnhelm, Darguard, Thornvale and Eagle Brook, Lord Protector of Thorkan, Wrothmark, Felway and White Haven, patron of the Knights of the Tempest. - King Daric’s wife, QUEEN ABELLE of House Darein - ELISSA, Princess of Northpoint and heir to all the lands and titles the ruler of Northpoint holds. - EVA, a girl of 10, the illegitimate child of Abelle Caron and Ser Silas Hartford. The Stormguard "One of the oldest and most respected organizations in Northpoint, the Stormguard of Northpoint is the group of warriors tasked with protecting the ruler of the realm and, by extension, his or her family. The order traces its roots back to the time of Northpoint's founding, having been established by the first king of Northpoint Triaton Stormborn, founder of the ruling Caron line of Northpoint. Triaton tasked six of his closest friends and trusted commanders to be personally responsible for his protection and for the protection of his wife and children. The group, consisting of Northern heroes such as Ragnar Long-Axe and Koer the Master, were well accustomed to their lord's temper, and were known to say that guarding him was like trying to guard a fierce storm; the phrase eventually became commonplace and inspired the official title of the group. Since its formation, the Stormguard has never been held to one particular form of organization. For one, there is no maximum or minimum number of members the Stormguard can have at any one time; while the original group consisted of six warriors, the exact number can vary from one generation to another. One incarnation of the guard consisted of twenty knights, while another only had four members. Furthermore, there are no specific requirements to be a amember of the Stormguard, beyond loyalty to the current ruling family of Northpoint. All members are chosen personally by the current Lord Commander of the Stormguard, who is in turn selected from the group by his or her peers whenever the previous passes away. While the Lord Commander is almost always selected based on seniority (both age and total years of service in the Stormguard), there have been occasions when younger and less experienced members have taken command. Members of the Stormguard typically serve for life, though they can be dismissed by the Lord Commander. This is an ability that has rarely been used, however, as treason would be the most typical reason for dismissal, and that crime also carries a death sentence; hence members tend to serve until death, one way or another. There are no specific vows beyond those of loyalty to become a member of the Stormguard, though there are precedents of members forfeiting any lad or titles they may have, along with their surnames, upon being inducted into the Stormguard. Such vows are optional, however, and as of the time of writing only Ser Barron of White Haven and Lady Fiona of Garnes have taken them out of the eight current members. The ruler of Northpoint does have the final say on the selection of members for the Stormguard and on the selection of Lord Commander, though few kings have ever chosen to excercise this power, prefering to trust their bodyguards." '- From “Champions of the North: The Greatest Heroes of Northpoint and Shornhelm” by Sir Basil Wilde' Current Members ''' :: - SER BARRON OF WHITE HAVEN - Ser Barron is the famed White Knight of the North, the Hero of Whittam, and the current Lord Commander of the Stormguard. Ser Barron is the most famous knight in the North due to his long career spanning more than 50 years, having been knighted when he was only 14. Though he is approaching 70, Ser Barron is still one of the most skilled warriors in High Rock. Ser Barron chose to forfeit any land and titles he might have held when he joinged the Guard, thus abandoning his last name as well. - SER GARRETT CROWE - Called the Orphan Knight by his detractors in refrence to his heritage, Ser Garrett is a famously skilled fighter. Wielding a long spear he calls Talon in battle, Ser Garrett is considered the most likely successor to the position of Lord Commander of the Stormguard once Ser Barron passes away. o IAN TUTSLEY, his squire, a boy of 14 - HAMMEN MITCHELL - Hammen, an old friend of Ser Barron, is a renowned weapons master hailing from Thorkan, having proved himself capable of using almost anything in battle long ago. Though he is a rather notorious drunk, Hammen is still nevertheless considered a dangerous man to antagonize. - LADY FIONA OF GARNES - The eldest daughter of Lord Tarly Westerland, a minor lord of a small town called Garnes in Felway, Lady Fiona is the winner of numerous tourneys, both melees and jousts. Recruited personally by Ser Barron after besting his previous choice in one such tourney, Lady Fiona chose to folow the Lord Commander's example and gave up her land, titles, and surname. o GASPARD OF NORTHPOINT, her squire, a young man of 17 - NATALIA REMES - Possibly the most well-connected person in Northpoint, Natalia - or, as some nobles have nicknamed her, the Queen of Rats - has served as spymaster for King Daric for almost seven years after fleeing North from Daggerfall, though she's only been a member of the Guard for three. Through her connections throughout the land, Natalia's information is considered just as valuable a protection for the king as a sword. - SER FRANKLIN MASTERSTON - Called the Knight of Songs for his talent at singing and playing the lute, Ser Franklin is often considered a younger version of Ser Barron. The youngest of Terrance Masterston's three sons, Ser Franklin is often relegated to being King Daric's public bodyguard whenever he's touring the country, being well-loved by the public and fulfilling their typical expectations of a knight, clad in gleaming armor. Ser Franklin and Ser Dorian have a long-standing hatred of one another, coming from the families's rivalry with one another. o RICKARD OF FERE, his squire, a boy of 13 - SER DORIAN WICKHART - Considered one of the best-looking people in the world by many, Ser Dorian is called "the Gray" as much for his stark gray armor as for his family's coat of arms, a gray heart. Though considered a dandy by many of Northpoint's other knights, and though his close "friendship" with Sir Basil Wilde is often looked down upon, Ser Dorian is nevertheless a skilled combatant. Ser Franklin and Ser Dorian have a long-standing hatred of one another, coming from the families's rivalry with one another. o ALAN HALLWARD, his squire, a young man of 16 - SER SILAS HARTFORD - a middle-aged man from a minor Wrothmarkian House of no repute, Ser Silas earned his place on the guard by defeating Ser Barron in a joust, before he came to the position of Lord Commander, one of the few people still alive who has ever done so. Ser Silas tends not to speak much, and, though he is as skilled a warrior as any member of the Royal Guard, has no notable titles or victories to his name. Ser Silas has been engaging in an affair with Queen Abelle Caron for almost ten years. o NIALL LOURDEN, his squire, a boy of 14 '''The Royal Court :: - REDON SWIFT - The Grand Admiral of Northpoint’s Royal Navy. - AELWIN SEEGNON - King Daric’s chamberlain and chief advisor, Aelwin has served the Caron family for over 40 years, like his father before him. In Daric's younger days, Aelwin was one of the few people who actually payed attention to Daric instead of his brother, and Daric is secretly grateful for that. Aelwin is, for the most part, in charge of the day-to-day affairs of Castle Northpoint, and keeps the castle clean, well-staffed, and an overal pleasant place to live. - LORD RALEIGH DAREIN & "LORD" VINCENT COSTER - Lord Darein and Lord Coster share the title of royal treasurer, with Lord Coster focusing on internal economics and Lord Darein focusing on external economics. Lord Darein is the second son of the Darein family and head of the Darein Shipping company, while "Lord" Coster is a merchant prince who has been closely associated with the Dareins for years. Both are buisnessmen through and through. Because of Coster's expensive tastes (having gained his large fortune himself, rather than inheriting it, he enjoys getting to spend it), and because of the somewhat heavy taxes of Northpoint, he is sometimes called Lord Costly. - SER LIAM CARON - Hailing from House Caron of Graytide Keep - the most prominent of House Caron's numerous cadet branches - Ser Liam is the current Commander of the Knights of the Tempest. At 36, Ser Liam is the youngest Commander in the chivalric order's history. - FERGUS BANNING - The new commander of the City Guard of Northpoint, Fergus, a commoner, has only recently come into the position after the previous commander, a Ser Dunk Sogdwills, was found to be corrupt, and was executed by King Daric. An honest and well-respected guard, he is dead-set on restoring the honor of the City Guard, and cleansing it entirely of corruption. Though this has lead to a certian overbearingness towards his guardsmen, most do appreciate the thought, and his superiors support his effort to clean up the Guard. The City of Northpoint “Though the City of Northpoint is far from the oldest city in High Rock - that honor going to the ancient city of Daggerfall, of course - it does have an impressive history worth noting. Located on the northernmost coast of High Rock, Northpoint was first given its fitting name by the first man to claim dominion over the region, Triaton Caron, the Raider King from whom almost all rulers of Northpoint have been descended from. According to the historical tales, the location of the city was the first spot Triaton landed on in High Rock following his adventures in Skyrim during the middle of the First Era, and the current location of the Seastone Keep (the home of Northpoint’s Kings and Queens) is where Triaton first set up his longhall. The longhall that Triaton had built was fairly standard Nordic architecture, from what scholars have gathered, but it served Triaton well enough during his conquest of the Northern region of the Bretic homeland. In the few years it took for Triaton to establish himself as the virtually undisputed king of the North, a sprawling town had sprung up at the base of the cliff where the longhall was located. Triaton, being a conqueror and not particularly skilled at managing infrastructure, never did anything about the town, which remained merely a collection of quickly built houses sprawling ever outward during the rest of Triaton’s reign, and his son and grandson who ruled after him. It was his great-granddaughter, Queen Elissa, one of the very few queens to rule Northpoint and the current crown princess’s namesake, who first started the movement to transform Northpoint into a proper city. After a fire destroyed almost half of the town during Elissa’s first year of ruling, Elissa began construction on a proper castle for the seat of Kings and Queens, as well as walls to protect the city. Elissa’s ambitious project included massive walls built in the ocean on both the eastern- and western-most side of Northpoint in addition to the tradition landlocked walls. Though Elissa only lived to see the castle (which Elissa named the Seastone Keep during the last months of her life) and the western Sea Wall built, within the next sixty years the walls were completed, and construction had turned towards the interior of the city. The progress that began on transforming the city into one that could possibly give Daggerfall a rival in the North briefly came to a halt in the years leading up to and during a twenty year long civil war in Northpoint during which four siblings battled for the throne, but during the 100 year exile of the Caron family following that great steps were made. The collection of nobles that took over the governance of Northpoint in that absence were able to pave streets throughout the city, build plazas and manors and proper docks, and even dig a canal through the city. The remarkable speed through which these works were done indicate that Northpoint’s nobles appeared to have a greater affinity for magic than they currently do. The following generations of rulers continued the tradition of improving the city bit by bit, until the city eventually reached the point where they believed it couldn’t be improved any more. Northpoint as it is now is a city that is both wealthy and proud of it. Informally divided into districts (the Docks, the Residential, the Trade, the Manor, and the Crown districts), Northpoint is characterized by wide, clean streets, neatly ordered houses, apartments, manors, businesses, and warehouses, large plazas and gardens, and the distinct smell of the sea. It is worth noting that the Seastone Keep, being the largest building in Northpoint and located on a hill above the rest of the city, is distinctly visible from almost any point in the city. Its silhouette is certainly intimidating for a traveler approaching by sea, as the castle sitting on a high cliff will likely be the first thing a traveler sees.” '- From "An Examination of High Rock: The Power of the North" by Sir Basil Wilde' '''Knights of the Tempest' ' {WIP} '''Nobility in Northpoint'' ' The nobility of Northpoint is somewhat unique when compared to the other major powers of High Rock. While the politics played by nobles are much the same as elsewhere in the Bretic Kingdoms, in Northpoint, things tend to be less confusing than elsewhere. Unlike, say, Daggerfall, the kingdom of Northpoint does not use any official orders of nobility, and hasn't for more than 400 years. Officially speaking, all nobles in the kingdom besides the King/Queen -and the ruling familes of Northpoint's vassals - are merely Lords, to promote the idea that nobility stand on equal ground. Even though only the noble families that rule one of the vassals of Northpoint can keep their title (Grand Duke, Baron, etc.), other nobles throughout the kingdom often adopt unofficial titles (the most recent being the former head of House Darein, who claimed the title of Arch-Duke). The Nobles of Northpoint Proper HOUSE DAREIN - The owners of the prosperous Darein Shipping Company, the largest company in Northpoint, House Darein is well-known for being extremely wealthy, almost as much as they are for their crimson hair. The Darein seat of power is Faith's Leap, a castle and town located on a high cliff, the family has some authority over the more minor lords of the western coast of Northpoint. The Darein coat-of-arms is a golden ship on a blue background, and their motto is We Who Dare, Win. - PROSPER DAREIN, a man of 37, Lord of Faith’s Leap; brother to the queen o his wife, LADY ARIANE of Sentinel o his son, CORRAM, heir to Faith’s Leap - LORD RALEIGH DAREIN, a man of 35, present manager of Darein Shipping Company and one of the royal treasurers of Northpoint; brother to the queen o his late wife, LADY MARGARET o his children: § FLORIAN, a boy of 12 § JEANNE, a girl of 9 § MARIA, a girl of 8 HOUSE MASTERSTON - House Masterston is well known for being the oldest, though not the richest, house in Northpoint besides the Carons. Tracing their history back to Koen the Master, a contemporary of Triaton Caron, the Masterstons have a long, distinguished history of producing great warriors and great men. House Masterston's prominence gives them some power over the lesser houses of Northpoint's rocky northern coastline. The Masterston seat is Old Seaguard, the oldest and largest castle in the North. The Masterston coat-of-arms is a a castle on a deep blue background, and their motto is We Weather All. - TEAGUE MASTERSTON, a man of 48, Lord of Storm’s Watch o his wife, LADY YVONNE o his children: § OWEN, heir to Storm's Watch, a man of 28 § SER PATRICK, a man of 25 § SER FRANKLIN, a young man of 23, knight of the Royal Guard HOUSE WICKHART - The Wickharts are a house best known for their intense rivalry with House Masterston. Rising to prominence because of the good fortune that their keep, called Normar Heights because of how high up it's built on Mt. Normar, was built on a prosperous silver mine, the Wickharts are the most influential House in the center of Northpoint. The Wickhart coat-of-arms is a gray heart crossed by two swords, and their motto is Salt the Wounds. - HENRE WICKHART, a man of 49, Lord of Normar Heights o his late wife LADY SYBIL o his children: § FERMOR, heir to Normar Heights, 27 years of age § LADY VICTORIA, 23 years of age § SER DORIAN, 23 years of age, knight of the Royal Guard HOUSE LEORIANE - House Leoriane is the only one of the four major Houses of Northpoint to not actually hail from the North. Originally a minor house from the Southern kingdoms, the Leorianes fled to the North several hundred years ago, where they were given refuge by the king. Building a small town in the southern forests, along a riverbank, the Leorianes soon found rubies in the area they had moved to, and quickly came to dominate the area. In addition, the Leorianes have a unique title of their own, The Red Lion/Lioness, that is given to one member of the family every generation. The Leoriane coat-of-arms is a scarlet lion, and their motto is Courage Like Lions. - LADY DARCY LEORIANE, Lady of Riverton, a woman of 50 o her children § AMELIA, heir to Riverton, 26 years of age § SER DERION, 24 years old § LADY SILENA, a daughter of 20, wed to Lord Jacob Gardner § CAMILLE, a daughter of 18, called the RED LIONESs HOUSE GARDNER – A relatively young house, having only risen to notability within the past century, the Gardner family has used careful political maneuvering to become extremely influential, especially in recent times, as Lord Jacob has become lord of Whittam along with his current title of the lord of Salworth, and has married into the Leoriane family. The current home of the family is Salworth Castle, sitting on the northern shore of Lake Salworth. The family's coat-of-arms is a green oak on a blue field, and their motto is Remember the Roots - LORD JACOB GARDNER – a young man of 25, Lord of Salworth and Whittam o His wife, LADY SILENA of House Leoriane :: :::: ::::: Category:Lore Category:Northpoint